Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Jerome Gambit: It's the Little Things


In the following game it is fun to watch Bill's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) advance bit-by-bit, as he takes advantage of the little things that add up to a win.


Wall, Bill - Orion

internet, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 


The Database has 5,504 games with this position. White scores 56%.

For comparison sake, Stockfish 15 at 30 ply assesses the best responses for Black to be, in order of strength 6...Ke6, 6...Kf8, 6...g6, and then 6...Ng6. All lead to advantage for Black.

One reason for 6...Ng6 lagging behind in the rankings is that it allows White to capture Black's Bishop at c5 - a piece that can cause trouble, starting with a pin on White's f-pawn.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8. Qxc5+ N8e7 

9.O-O d6 10.Qe3 

Bill has also tried 10.Qc4. See Wall,B - Guesty1960624, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30). 

10...Be6 

Black pursues development. The difficulty with this move is that it encourages White to play a move he already wants to play and plans on playing - but one which forces Black to reconsider the placement of this Bishop (because of a possible pawn fork).

11.f4 Bf7 12. d4 Qd7 

Black looks ready to answer an f-pawn advance by giving a Knight back. He might have tried returning a pawn, instead, with 12...c5 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5 Rc8 15.Qf2 Kg8 and White's advantage would be small.  

13.f5 Nh4 

A Knight on the rim is dim. 

14.Nc3 h6 15.h3 b6 16.Qf2 g5 

17.g3 Nhxf5 18.exf5 Bc4 19.Ne2 


19...Kg7 

Okay, this is no longer a little thing. It is a big thing.

A better continuation: 19...Re8 20.b3 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Rh7 22.Bd2 Ng8 23.Qf3 Rhe7 24.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Nf6 26.g4 Rxe1+ 27.Bxe1 Qe8 and White's advantage has been kept in check.

20.f6+ Kh7 21.fxe7 

Reasonable follow through.

Stockfish 15 surprised me with the suggestion 21.b3, with things playing out  21...Bd5 22.c4 when Black has too much material hanging.

21...Qxe7 22.Re1 Rhf8 

23.Nc3 Qd7 24.Qg2 Rae8 25.Bd2 b5 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.b3 Bf7


White has the extra piece.

 28.Rf1 Bg6 29.Nd5 Be4 

Overlooking the fact that the Knight fork will come with check.

30.Nf6+


 
Forking King, Queen, Rook and Bishop!

30...Kg7 31.Nxe4 Black resigned




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